Ontario
right|thumb|300px|Map of Ontario with the four regions color-coded Ontario is a province located in the Central part of Canada, and is largest by population and the second largest Province, next to Quebec, in size. It is bordered by the provinces Manitoba in the west and Quebec in the east, and the American states of New York, Minnesota and Michigan. Ontario is also the only Province to border the Great Lakes: Lake Superior, Lake Huron, Lake Ontario and Lake Erie. Ontario was one of the four original provinces, along with Quebec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, to be formed on July 1st, 1867, by the British North American Act. The capital of Ontario is Toronto, the most populous city in Canada, with a metropolitan population of almost 6 million people. Ottawa, the capital of Canada, is also located in Ontario. The Province takes its name from Lake Ontario, a Huron word meaning 'Great Lake'. Motto: Ut incepit fidelis, sic manet. - She began loyal, she remains loyal. Geography Ontario is located in Central Canada, bordered by the Great Lakes, Hudson Bay and James Bay. It is bordered to the East by Quebec and to the West by Manitoba. It also shares borders with the U.S. states of Minnesota, New York and Michigan. The province consists of four main geographical regions: *The thinly populated Canadian Shield in the northwestern and the central portions which covers over half the land area in the province, though mostly infertile land, it is rich in minerals and studded with lakes and rivers; sub-regions are Northwestern Ontario and Northeastern Ontario. *The virtually unpopulated Hudson Bay Lowlands in the extreme north and northeast, mainly swampy and sparsely forested; and *The temperate, and therefore most populous region, fertile Great Lakes-Saint Lawrence Valley in the south where agriculture and industry are concentrated. Southern Ontario is further sub-divided into four regions; Southwestern Ontario (parts of which were formerly referred to as Western Ontario), Golden Horseshoe, Central Ontario (although not actually the province's geographic centre) and Eastern Ontario. Cities and Towns Cities of 500,000+ people * Toronto - see also Toronto Wikia. * Mississauga, Ontario * Ottawa - see also Ottawa Wikia. Cities of 100,000-499,999 people Golden Horseshoe * St. Catharines, Ontario * Hamilton, Ontario * Burlington, Ontario * Oakville, Ontario * Brampton, Ontario * Vaughan, Ontario * Richmond Hill, Ontario * Markham, Ontario * Oshawa, Ontario * Barrie, Ontario Western Ontario * Windsor, Ontario * London, Ontario - see also London, Ontario Wikia * Kitchener, Ontario * Chatham, Ontario * Guelph, Ontario * Brantford, Ontario Eastern Ontario * Kingston, Ontario Northern Ontario * Greater Sudbury, Ontario * Thunder Bay, Ontario Cities and Towns of 20,000-99,999 people Golden Horseshoe * Fort Erie, Ontario * Niagara Falls, Ontario * Flamboro Centre, Ontario * Milton, Ontario * Halton Hills, Ontario * Caledon, Ontario * Aurora, Ontario * Newmarket, Ontario * Alliston, Ontario * Pickering, Ontario * Ajax, Ontario * Whitby, Ontario * Clarington, Ontario * Orillia, Ontario * Whitchurch-Stouffville, Ontario * Dundas, Ontario * Stoney Creek, Ontario * Welland, Ontario * Ancaster, Ontario Western Ontario * St. Thomas, Ontario * Nanticoke, Ontario * Woodstock, Ontario * Stratford, Ontario * Owen Sound, Ontario * Waterloo, Ontario * Cambridge, Ontario Eastern Ontario * Peterborough, Ontario * Cornwall, Ontario * Brockville, Ontario * Belleville, Ontario Northern Ontario * Timmins, Ontario * North Bay, Ontario * Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario Other Major Towns Golden Horseshoe *Brooklin, Ontario * Bolton, Ontario * Thorold, Ontario * Orangeville, Ontario * Bowmanville, Ontario * Bradford, Ontario * Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario * Pelham, Ontario * Virgil, Ontario Western Ontario * Palmerston, Ontario * St. Marys, Ontario * Wasaga Beach, Ontario * Collingwood, Ontario * Wiarton, Ontario * Midland, Ontario * Gowanstown, Ontario * Penetanguishene, Ontario * Lucknow, Ontario * Listowel, Ontario * Goderich, Ontario * Tobermory, Ontario * Leamington, Ontario * Strathroy, Ontario * Wallaceburg, Ontario * Kincardine, Ontario * Arthur, Ontario * Port Elgin, Ontario * Mount Forest, Ontario * Amherstburg, Ontario * Essex, Ontario * Ingersoll, Ontario Eastern Ontario * Perth, Ontario * Haliburton, Ontario * Smiths Falls, Ontario * Carleton Place, Ontario * Arnprior, Ontario * Renfrew, Ontario * Gananoque, Ontario * Brighton, Ontario * Trenton, Ontario * Killaloe, Ontario * Eganville, Ontario * Port Perry, Ontario * Pakenham, Ontario * Pembroke, Ontario * Almonte, Ontario * Kemptville, Ontario * Cobden, Ontario * Hawkesbury, Ontario * Rockland, Ontario * Embrun, Ontario * Cobourg, Ontario * Port Hope, Ontario * Collins Bay, Ontario * Petawawa, Ontario * Deep River, Ontario * Greater Napanee, Ontario * Russell, Ontario * Prescott, Ontario * Cardinal, Ontario Northern Ontario * Wawa, Ontario * Cochrane, Ontario * Kirkland Lake, Ontario * Kenora, Ontario * Bracebridge, Ontario * Huntsville, Ontario * Kapuskasing, Ontario * Dryden, Ontario * Nipigon, Ontario * Englehart, Ontario * Temiskaming Shores, Ontario * Elliot Lake, Ontario * Hearst, Ontario * Mattawa, Ontario * Parry Sound, Ontario * Fort Frances, Ontario * Gravenhurst, Ontario Census Divisions Counties * Brant County, Ontario - see also County of Brant Wikia * Bruce County, Ontario * Dufferin County, Ontario * Elgin County, Ontario * Essex County, Ontario * Frontenac County, Ontario * Grey County, Ontario * Haliburton County, Ontario * Hastings County, Ontario * Huron County, Ontario * Lambton County, Ontario * Lanark County, Ontario * Leeds and Grenville County, Ontario * Lennox and Addington County, Ontario * Middlesex County, Ontario * Northumberland County, Ontario * Perth County, Ontario * Peterborough County, Ontario * Prescott and Russell County, Ontario * Renfrew County, Ontario * Simcoe County, Ontario * Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry County, Ontario * Wellington County, Ontario Districts * Algoma District, Ontario * Cochrane District, Ontario * Kenora District, Ontario * Manitoulin District, Ontario * Nipissing District, Ontario * Parry Sound District, Ontario * Rainy River District, Ontario * Sudbury District, Ontario * Thunder Bay District, Ontario * Timiskaming District, Ontario Regional Municipalities * Durham Regional Municipality, Ontario * Halton Regional Municipality, Ontario * Muskoka Regional Municipality, Ontario * Niagara Regional Municipality, Ontario * Oxford Regional Municipality, Ontario * Peel Regional Municipality, Ontario * Waterloo Regional Municipality, Ontario * York Regional Municipality, Ontario Parliament Ontario has (2015 election) 121 seats out of 338 in Parliament. External links *Province page on Familypedia, the Genealogy Wiki category:Ontario Category:Provinces of Canada Category:Provinces